Picture frame and support



June 22, 1948. N. TURAN 24,443,645

. I PICTURE FRAME AND SUPPORT Filed Nov. 14, 1944 INVENTOR Nai/zanzelTara avm fiw 4 ATTORNEYS Patented June 22, 1948 '3 Glaim It is among theobjects of the-invention-to provide a simple, unitary inexpensive easel.picture-framethat maybe stamped from a single blank of an suitablematerial, that may be sold flat-and; may bereadily setup for securelyholding apicturein easel" supported position and ,as readily collapsedwhen'de sired.

According to the invention-the unitary blank, preferably of ornamentalpaper board or flexible resin-impregnated textile fabric orthe like,includesap pen frarnepanel, preferably rectangular,-having-abaseflapfolded upward thence outward, the up folded portion constituting aclamping strip-for retaining in place in-folded flaptmeansserving as abacking-for a picture in the frame, while other fiap meansfolded. inwardis releasably lockedby and against the outer part of the base flap at anangle to the panel to servetasan easel. I

.:In the accompanyingdrawings in which is shown, one vofvarious possibleembodiments of theseveral features .of the invention.

:Fig. 1 is a. perspective view, of the easel; frame setup toruusenasseen generally from the front,

sEigx 2, is-.a..view. ,ofthe, frame similar; to -Fig; 1 assseengenerally from the rear,

. :Fig. 3-.is aview intlongitudinal cross section taken on line 3-3 ofFig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a view of the blank from which the frame may be made.

Referring now to the drawings, the frame panel i6 is shown rectangularand has an opening ll of desired shape to expose the picture l2.Protruding from all four edges of the panel are flaps. One of these is arelatively short base flap l3 having a root [4 preferably the full widthof the frame panel l and having a transverse fold line defining aclamping strip [6. This clamping strip is folded inward as shown in Fig.3 against the lower part of the panel It to retain in position, thepicture backing flap I1, which desirably protrudes from the upper edgeof the frame and is substantiall the full height of the frame panel Ii],it being desirably only slightly narrower immediately beyond the filletl8 at its root as shown, to be spaced slightly from the roots or foldlines l9 of the lateral flaps which extend for the entire height of thepanel frame l0.

Preferably the area 2| of the base flap l3 beyond the transverse foldline [5 is of equilateral trapezoidal shape and its sides or legs havelooking tabs 22 co-acting with corresponding slits 22 23 in the lateral-flaps =28. These slits are preferably U shaped as shown to-;be at L theflat: ends of short tongues 2-4'in-the lateral flaps.

The .frame' may be of anysuitable. sl 1eet- -ma terial with ornamentalfacing and embossments to simulate any desired effects. y'I-he-framqmaybe sold as an initiallyiiat unitwith its four fiaps l3, .1],- 28 and 20folded inwar-d -agai-nst-the=back of panel framed-0. 1 It -may -bereadily set up for use bylfoldingthe top flap r151 inwardlythereby toback the picture {1 2, then ifolding -.the base flap l3 upwardandfolding rthe-trapezoidal "area 21 thereof, outwardly, landintroducingythe tabs 22 into the :slits 423 t of the llateral .flaps:2il,--which are folded inward against the sides Qof lthe trap.- ezoidaloutstanding base :flap area 21L .1111 this manner .the .=lat.er alfla ps220 are buttressed and locked, against ithelsides .of .the :trapezoidal;base flap t 21 maintaining the-clamping strip ilfi int-tsecureengagement with :the lower ,end of the in.- turned itop orrpictureibackingrflap 11:1, ,sflcurely to-hold pthe pieture 2421111 place. iThelqwer edges ofwthe llateral easel flaps so are ldesirablybbliil as at,2.5, so as to retain ,the ,picture eta-theidesired:slantsuggestedinzZFZig. 1. I

' Hihestongues .25 r-resiliently and securely grip the tabs 22} and thusthe .easeLsuppQrt will ,not be collapsed by every touch and it is quitestable in service. Yet the frame may be readily opened by pushing apartthe flaps 20 for release of the tabs 22 to permit replacement of apicture, or the flaps may be flattened in back of the face panel forstorage.

As many changes could be made in the above article, and many apparentlywidely different embodiments of this invention could be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described m invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An easel frame consisting of a unitary blank of sheet material,comprising an open frame panel having flaps unitary therewith andincluding a base flap with a transverse fold line defining a clamp stripto underly the panel, other flap means held in place by said clamp stripagainst the back of the panel for backin a picture in the frame, andeasel flap means, said base flap having means for securing said easelflap means in operative position.

2. A picture frame comprising a unitary blank 3. including a rectangularopen frame panel, flaps hinged to the four edges thereof, including abase flap, lateral flap means and top flap means, said base flap havinga transverse fold determining clamping strip, the outer portion of saidflap having lock tongue means, one of said flap means being foldedinward over the back of the frame panel for backing a picture and beingretained in place by said clamping strip, the other flap means beingreleasably held by said lock tongue means against the outstanding partof said base flap and serving as an easel.

3. An easel picture frame, comprising a unitary blank of sheet material,including a rectangular open frame panel, unitary flaps protruding from.the edges thereof and including a top flap serving as a backing for apicture, lateral flaps serving as an easel and a base flap having atransversefold defining a clamping strip for retaining the backing flapand having lateral locking means: for retaining the easel flaps inoperative position,

4. A unitary easel picture frame, comprising an integral blank of sheetmaterial, including a rec tangular open frame panel having flaps alongthe full length of each edge thereof, and including a top flap, lateralflaps and a base flap, said top flap being of substantially the area ofthe frame panel and serving as a backing for a picture, said base flapbeing shorter and having a transverse fold near its root, the areabetween said fold and the root of said flap defining a clamping stripfor retaining the backing panel, the body of said base flap being foldedoutward and having lateral locking tongues releasably fitting incorresponding slits in the lateral flaps, the latter forming an. easelsupport for the frame.

5. A picture frame comprising a unitary blank of sheet materialincluding a rectangular open frame panel, unitary flaps, including a topflap, lateral flaps and a base flap hinged to the respective edges ofsaid panel, each having a hinging' root of substantially the full lengthof the corresponding panel edge, said top flap being of substantiallythe full height of said panel and laterally spaced in infolded positionslightly from the roots of said lateral flaps, said base flap having atransverse fold defining a clamping strip there- 4 below and having anouter equilateral trapezoidal part beyond said fold, with lateral tabsat the sides thereof, the lateral flaps having slits for releasablyaccommodating said tabs to retain the lateral flaps against said sidesand to maintain the clamping strip pressed against said inturned topflap.

6. An easel picture frame, comprising a unitary blank of sheet material,including a rectangular open frame panel, unitary flaps protruding fromthe edges thereof and including a top flap serving as a backing for apicture, lateral flaps serving as an easel and a base flap havingholding means for retaining the backing flap in position and havinglateral locking means for retaining the easel flaps in operativeposition, said lateral locking means holding said easel flaps so thatthey incline inwardly and rearwardly toward each other.

7. An easel picture frame, comprising a unitary blank of sheet material,including a rectangular open frame panel, unitary flaps protruding fromthe edges thereof and including a top flap serving for a backing for apicture, lateral flaps serving as an easel and a base flap havingholding means for retaining the backing flap in position and havinglateral locking means for retaining the easel flaps in operativeposition, said base flap having a substantially vertical portion servingas said holding means and a trapezoidal shaped substantially horizontalportion carrying said locking means.

NATHANIEL 'I-URAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date

